Prologue

"Get to the castle gates!" Greery bellowed, cutting a swath through the ranks of the soldiers of Saint Keru. She dodged the fiery arrows that rained down from the sky, kicking aside the corpses of the fallen as she swung her war hammer, crushing the helmet of one qKeruvian with a mighty blow. Blood gushed from the side of his head as he fell to his knees, only to have his head cleanly removed by the second swing of Greery's hammer. She paused for a moment, tilting her head back as she placed a booted foot upon the fallen soldier's corpse. "The air is thick with the smell of death, and the sun has been blotted out by the clouds. It must be a fine night to die, a fine night indeed." With a deep, satisfied breath, Greery tied her long black hair into a bun and wiped the blood from her sword before striding forward, ready to meet her fate head on.

Greery was eight and a half months pregnant, and the baby growing within her kicked and clawed at her stomach. "Hush now, my sweet warrior," she muttered, rubbing the chainmail-covered mound of her belly.

As she fought her way through the swarming ranks of Keruvian soldiers, she knew she had little time to worry about the monsters and demons that lurked in the darkened plains beyond the Tar Bridge. This bridge was the only way to reach the Empire of Maldorian from the haunted wilds beyond, and it was here that she found herself, sword in hand and belly heavy with child, dodging and weaving through the arrows that rained down upon her.

"Is that you, Greery Blackwolf, Queen of Maldorian and captain of the so-called Great Empire?" a man sneered, his clothes caked with filth. "Dorn Helclif, is that your name? I remember you now - the look of petrified fear on your brother's face as I plunged my sword, Wolfeater, into his heart. Were you not there, watching as he begged for mercy and begged me to spare you?" Greery grinned, relishing the memory of past battles won.

"It's been 12 years since I was just a boy, 12 years since I've waited for this moment - the chance for revenge. And look at you, with child no less. Disgusting. It's the perfect day for me to take what's mine - your life, and that of your unborn child." Dorn spat, lifting his sword as he charged towards Greery.

But she was ready for him. As he swung his blade, she ducked and spun, using the momentum to sweep his legs out from under him. With no time to spare, she drew her dagger from her side and plunged it into his throat. Gasping for air, Dorn looked up at her in terror, seeing the angel of death standing before him. "Kirsha, my angel, take me to the gates of eternity, the forever cosmo..." he tried to mutter his final words, but Greery cut him off.

"I am no god, no light at the end of the tunnel. I am the darkness that pulls you into the abyss, the screams of your dying comrades. I am Greery Blackwolf, and your life is mine." And with that, she smashed his skull into the ground with the heel of her boot.

Stumbling across the remaining corpses, Greery used the side of the bridge for support as she struggled to stand. But her reprieve was short-lived, as a loud boom echoed through the air. A giant cannonball shot through the sky, crushing down onto the bridge. The impact knocked Greery off her feet, sending her tumbling down to the bottom of the bridge.

As she regained consciousness, Greery surveyed her surroundings and realized that her right leg was broken from the fall. She lay there, feeling a small sensation between her legs as her water broke, signaling the arrival of her child.

With no time to lose, Greery tore a strip of cloth from the corpse of a fallen soldier and bit down on it, using it as a makeshift painkiller as she went into labor. But as the baby emerged from her womb, she realized with horror that it was stillborn. The tiny life lay motionless in her bloody arms, no breath or cry escaping its lips.

Overcome with grief and anger, Greery let out a roar that echoed into the heavens. "Riku, Saudas, Triely, gods of bloodshed, I beg of you, grant life to my son. I have taken countless lives in your name, and I ask for just this one gift, the gift of life for my child."

She prayed and prayed, but no divine call answered her cries. It seemed that no god had listened to her pleas. In that moment, Greery felt truly alone, a warrior abandoned by the very deities she had worshipped and served. But even as despair threatened to consume her, she refused to give up.

As she stared into the stillborn's eyes, sadness and sorrow consumed her heart and thoughts. "Please, my gods, I beg of you. My life is yours to take, I plead," she cried out, but still no answer came to her prayers.

Suddenly, the cold air grew thicker and a dark cloud of fog started to form in the distance, swirling closer and closer to where Greery and her stillborn child lay. Whispers of the name "Denari" floated on the wind, growing louder and clearer until it felt like someone was sitting right beside her.

"Greery Blackwolf," a dark voice echoed across the broken bridge where she lay. A tall, shadowy figure glided towards her, a giant scythe in one hand and a black buster sword in the other. The figure's face was that of a blackened skull, adorned with diamonds and rubies, and long, flowing shadows spilled out from underneath its hooded cloak.

"Denari, the Reaper of Souls, God of Destruction," Greery breathed in horror. She had heard tales of the Reaper of Souls in her childhood, a being feared by even the strongest warriors at the mere mention of its name.

The Reaper stood before her, a grim smile playing across its deathly visage. "You have called upon me, Greery Blackwolf," it said in a voice like a thousand whispers on the wind. "You seek the gift of life for your child, and in return you offer your own life. A fair trade, but one that carries a heavy price. Are you willing to pay it?"

Greery looked at the stillborn child in her arms and then back at the Reaper, determination hardening in her gaze. "I am willing to pay any price to bring my child back to life," she said. "What must I do?"

The Reaper raised its scythe, the blade glowing with an otherworldly light. "Very well," it said. "But know that this bargain comes with a warning. The life of your child will be intertwined with death, forever bound to the cycle of life and death. Are you still willing to make this trade?"

Without hesitation, Greery nodded. "I am."